Labour councillors refuse to take on youth commissioning duties

By Janaki Mahadevan Friday, 27 January 2012

Labour councillors in Worcestershire are rebelling against a decision to give elected representatives power over commissioning youth services.

Panels of local councillors will have the power to commission youth services. Image: Arlen Connelly

The Labour group in Worcestershire is refusing to participate in the new commissioning arrangements launched by Worcestershire County Council in November, which will give panels of local councillors the power to commission local youth services rather than council officers.

But councillor Peter McDonald has written to the chief executive of Worcestershire council on behalf of the Labour group saying they will abstain from engaging with the new process because politicians may have a conflict of interest and lack the specific skills to commission positive activities for young people.

The letter states: "We believe that it is the proper duty and responsibility of officers to implement policy and not for politicians, whose proper role is to make that policy.

"Clearly, most local members will have several business contacts in their divisions which could possibly lead to a number of conflicts of interest when deciding which company to engage.

"In the event that problems arise, once the provider is delivering the service, there is a lack of clarity about whose responsibility it would be to correct that situation and to what extent the member would be indemnified."

The letter goes on to state that the council’s arrangements for youth services cannot guarantee a minimum standard of youth service across the whole county, raising concern that there will be a postcode lottery of service across the area.

"As a Labour group, we firmly and philosophically believe in the universality of standards in the provision of all services," it states. "The proposed arrangement does not and cannot guarantee universal minimum standards of quality and is likely to bring about differing levels of provision across the county.

"Members do not have and cannot be expected to have the specific skills and knowledge to replace those of qualified and trained officers."